Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-12-27


county during the last three years has
not only been the wonder of our own
people, but of the people of other states.
The unequalled prosperity is the legiti-
mate result of the remarkable activity IN
all the various fields of labor. Wealth
is the recompense of labor, and where
labor is actively and protitably en-
ployed there is not only production OF
capital, but outside capital invariably
seeks investment in localities where Ia
Dor is in great demand.
1t is well known fact that labor has
been in great demand in Wichita and
Sedgwick county during the last two or
three years. and that vast amounts of
capital has sought investment
here. Prosperous communities are
those actively engaged in the production
of wealth. All the railroads and street
car lines and buildings erected in Wich-
ita. and the farms improved in SedGwlck
county are the products of labor and the
direct cause of our prosperity.
The erection of county buildings now
/ demanded is in line of our prosperity.
Some one may say we can get along
without d court house, and so we can.
/ We could have gotten along without our
railroads and street car and motor lines.
| We could have done without the Burton
car works and the packing houses and
/ hundreds of costly buildings in
/ Wichita. Many farmers who have
built new houses could have done with
/ out them All these things could have
/ been dispensed with, but they are at the
same time Just what has made Sedgwick
county great. There is not an argument
that can be used against the building of
court house but could have been used
with equal force against every improve
ment in Sedgwick county that has
raised it from wilderness to the greatest
county in the great state of Kansas. The
Topeka Journal says Sedgwick countys
jail is not fit for a mule barn, but pre-
diets that our farmers viii vote it down.
That paper says our farmers answer
that if law breakers do
not like the jail they can obey the law
and keep out of the jail
The great majority Of people in Sedg
wick county are in favor of keeping up
our prosperity by going right along with
our improvements How foolish to say
people can keep out Of the old jail. A
jail is not primarily a place of punish
ment Suppose a millionaire and poor
laborer are accused of committing an Of
fence against our laws, and suppose
them to be innocent. The rich man can
give bail for his appearance at court,
but the poor man must langulsh III jail.
In reading some Of the comments on
this proposition we infer that some OF the
writers are under the impression that
the farmers will have to pay all or nearly
all of the expense of this new court
house. Let us see: the entire assessment
of Sedgw!ck county in round numbers is
fifteen million six hundred thousand
dollars. OF this amount Wichita alone
furnishes nearly eight and one-half
million. and the railroads nearly another
million. leaving for all the farms and
towns in Sedgwick county outside of
Wichita. about six million dol
lars. 1t will thus be seen
that the farmers and small towns in
Sedgwick county all together
will pay little more than onethlrd of the
tax required to give us a court house and
iail commensurate with the importance
of our county. When it is remembered
that tax levy of 1 per cent in this
county would produce $4,000 and that
six-tenths Of one mill levy would pay the
interest no alarm viii be created on &C
count of increased taxes caused by that
scheme.
Wichita IS spending millions which 90
to build up Sedgwick county; it
is therefore only justice that
the county should erect buildings
in proportion to those erected by indivld-
ual citizens near the valuable square of
ground owned by the county, which
ground never cost the people cent.
As for the objection raised in some
quarters that no provision has been made
for the sale of the present county build
ings. the fact is that they must be sold
or rented. If sold the money received
will 90 far towards paying for the new.
IF not sold they will not only continually
grow in value but the rentals alone VIII
very nearly if not quite pay the interest
on the bonds issued for the new. OF
course. Wichita has made the old prop
erty very valuable.
The grounds upon which the new
buildings are 10 be erected are worth
from one hundred to one hundred and
fifty thousand dollars. The only cloud
upon the county's title has been cleared
by enterprising citizens who desire the I
Improvement and who. at a cost 10 them .
selves Of thirteen thousand dollars. made
the title good TO the county.
an Artistic Production.
Fort SCOTT Monitor.
With characteristic enterprise and the .